ULSTER outside-half David Humphreys has urged supporters to give the Celtic League time and believes the competition will prove to be a resounding success.

ULSTER outside-half David Humphreys has urged supporters to give the Celtic League time and believes the competition will prove to be a resounding success.

Humphreys, who played for Ulster in Saturday's 19-15 Arms Park defeat against the Cardiff Blues, believes the league is vital in improving the standard of rugby in the three Celtic nations.

There have been calls from Scotland and Ireland to reduce the amount of games by eliminating the home-and-away format introduced this year, but Humphreys believes the Celtic League should not be judged on this season alone.

"There is definitely a strong future for the Celtic League," said Humphreys, who is part of the Ulster side battling for this year's title with the Scarlets and the Dragons.

"It is vital for the Irish provinces and I'm sure people in Wales and Scotland would agree.

"From an Irish perspective we need that level of competition every week, not just for the players, but to build up that support base.

"Whether home and away with so many games and the limited squads we have might prove problematic, who knows?

"It is hard to judge the format on this season alone because it is slightly different because of the World Cup.

"Maybe in 12 or 24 months time you will get a true reflection of where the Celtic League stands."